ND registered agent
North Dakota registered agent service, $3.50 a year
North Dakota requires every corporation and LLC on its books to keep a registered agent at a real address in the state. Here is what North Dakota law says about who that agent has to be and where it has to be.
What North Dakota requires of a registered agent
The requirement
ND adopted the Model Registered Agents Act (N.D.C.C. ch. 10-01.1) covering all entities. An agent may be commercial (listed with the SoS, $1,000 listing fee) or noncommercial; either must be an individual residing in ND or a domestic or foreign corporation or LLC. The registered office is simply the agent's in-state address and need not be the entity's place of business.
"Noncommercial registered agent" means a person that is not listed as a commercial registered agent under section 10-01.1-06 that serves in this state as the agent for service of process for another entity and that is: a. An individual residing in this state; or b. A domestic or foreign corporation or a domestic or foreign limited liability company.
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: N.D.C.C. § 10-01.1-02(2), (19), (32); § 10-19.1-15; § 10-32.1-16
How we comply
We don't.
What North Dakota does to your company when we don't
Here is what the state does to an entity that has no agent, or whose agent is us.
Administrative dissolution
A corporation may be involuntarily dissolved by the Secretary of State for failing to appoint and maintain a registered agent and registered office, after not less than 60 days mailed notice and failure to cure; on expiration of the 60 days the corporation's existence ceases. LLC parallel: involuntary termination under § 10-32.1-90(1)(a)(1)(b).
A corporation may be involuntarily dissolved by the secretary of state if: (1) The corporation has failed to appoint and maintain a registered agent and registered office as provided in section 10-19.1-15... Upon expiration of sixty days after the mailing of the notice, the existence of the corporation ceases.
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: N.D.C.C. § 10-19.1-146.1(1); § 10-32.1-90(1)
Revocation (foreign entities)
A foreign corporation's certificate of authority may be revoked for failure to appoint and maintain a registered agent and registered office, after 60 days notice and failure to cure; its authority to transact business then ceases. Foreign LLC parallel: § 10-32.1-90(2)(a)(1)(b).
The certificate of a foreign corporation to transact business in this state may be revoked by the secretary of state if: (1) The foreign corporation has failed to: (a) Appoint and maintain a registered agent and registered office as provided in section 10-19.1-138... Upon expiration of sixty days after the mailing of the notice, the authority of the foreign corporation to transact business in this state ceases.
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: N.D.C.C. § 10-19.1-146.1(2); § 10-32.1-90(2)
And also
Cure and freeze pending restoration: after an RA-failure notice, the entity is restored to good standing by filing a report of change with the fee; until restored, the Secretary of State will not accept any filing for the entity except those incident to dissolution or withdrawal.
If the corporation or foreign corporation files a report of change relating to the registered agent or any other required record... the secretary of state shall restore the certificate of incorporation or authority to good standing. Until restored to good standing, the secretary of state may not accept for filing any document respecting the corporation or foreign corporation except those incident to its dissolution or withdrawal.
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: N.D.C.C. § 10-19.1-146.1(3)
The bill to come back
Reinstatement fee
After involuntary dissolution of a corporation (or revocation of a foreign corporation's authority), reinstatement requires the past-due annual report, all filing and late fees, and a reinstatement fee of $135, within one year. The LLC schedule carries the same $135 reinstatement fee.
After the involuntary dissolution of a corporation, or the revocation of the certificate of authority of a foreign corporation, the reinstatement fee of one hundred thirty-five dollars.
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: N.D.C.C. § 10-19.1-147(24)(a)(3); § 10-32.1-92(25)(a)(2); § 10-19.1-146(8)
What happens to the lawsuit you never saw
Substituted service
The Secretary of State is the agent for service when an entity that filed a registered agent filing no longer has one, when the agent (or a governor or responsible person) cannot with reasonable diligence be served, when a domestic entity has been dissolved, or when a foreign entity does business without a certificate of authority. Service on the SoS requires a sheriff's return or non-party affidavit, three copies, and the $25 fee; the SoS forwards by registered mail. Process may also be served directly on any governor or any responsible person at the registered or principal executive office.
The secretary of state is the agent for service of process: a. When a foreign entity transacts business without a certificate of authority; b. When a domestic entity has been dissolved; c. If an entity that previously filed a registered agent filing with the secretary of state no longer has a registered agent; or d. If the registered agent, governor, or responsible person cannot with reasonable diligence be served.
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: N.D.C.C. § 10-01.1-13(1), (3), (5)-(6); § 10-32.1-19(2)
Statutory text as captured by incFACTS (retrieved 2026-08-01, verified word-for-word against the state code 2026-08-10). Laws change. The statute governs; this page does not.